


Ignition

by Siriusfan13



Series: Originally posted under my penname, Sake Sucker, on fanfiction.net [1]
Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Angst, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Posted under a different penname on fanfiction.net, introspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25644700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siriusfan13/pseuds/Siriusfan13
Summary: The darkest shadows survive only by the grace of the brightest light. He was a shadow assassin. He was the light. Hiko thinks on his errant student. Please read and review! Thanks.
Series: Originally posted under my penname, Sake Sucker, on fanfiction.net [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859116
Kudos: 1





	Ignition

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Ruroken at all. Also, the quote is from Star Wars (specifically the Revenge of the Sith novel). And the opening line of the story is almost exact from the English dub of the OVA, Trust and Betrayal. The rest is mine.

_ “For one light is all it takes to hold back the darkness. Love is more than one light. Love can ignite the stars.”  
_ _ \-- _ _ Revenge of the Sith _

* * *

**Ignition**

The moon gazes down on this diseased world.  _ Has  _ gazed down on us for eons. What does he see? What does he think? Is he as disillusioned as I, who have only been watching the disgusting degradation of mankind for a few measly decades? Or does he embrace the inevitable? That we are a species bent on our own destruction…

I’ve come to accept our fate over the short span of my life. I’ve seen enough to darken the world in my eyes. I’m not exactly a pessimist. I’m more of a realist. I would love to see the world improve. I just know better. I used to be as naïve as the man-child who left me so long ago. I used to hope for a better world. I used to want so badly to be a part of it. Now I’d just be satisfied if it dies slowly enough to outlive me. It sickens me to watch. 

It disgusts me even more to be a part of it. But the fact is that I am. I fully acknowledge that I am a hypocrite. I have taken part in the bloodshed. I have left men to die. I have ignored the world I live in, because I gave up on them. Yet I have condemned them all in my own, callous way.

And then came the child. A ray of light in the darkness. A touch of hope in my floundering, purposeless existence. A gentle reminder that perhaps some are immune to the disease.

He brought life back to my existence; hope back to my life. He gave me a reason to fight again. Even if that reason were only the need to allow enough time for this small flame to grow into a blaze. I knew that if he lived long enough--if I protected him until he was ready--that his spark could start the fire. He wouldn’t ignite the world. Wouldn’t save it. No one could do that alone. But he could  _ start  _ the purging fire that would eventually destroy what plagues us. And he could do it without losing his humanity.

In leaving me, he threw me into complete darkness; even the cold light of the moon was…  _ is…  _ beyond me. He became one of them. 

I never learned if he lived or died when it was over. I expect he died. Killed by one of his own. Or by his own hand. He was stronger than that as a child… but if they put out that light of his… then, even if his body survived, he was good as dead.

I can’t ignore the small shudder that runs through my body at this thought. I want to hate him, but he’s still my child. And I still want to see him again…

I don’t know how long I have been sitting, thinking… drinking… feeling the sun on my face while I consider her banished brother, the moon. While I remember my errant student. My lost child. All I know is that I am suddenly aware of a strong ki approaching.

A very strong, somewhat familiar ki.

_ It can’t be… _

But it is. He’s different. Scarred… wavering… frightened…

Confused…

He’s fighting darkness with his every thought. But his light still shines, carefully controlled, but just as brilliantly.

I wonder why he is here. But a smaller, brighter part of me only relishes in the fact that he  _ is _ .

His very presence ignites that small spark of hope left within me that I was certain had died over ten years ago.

And if he can light hope in  _ me _ … then maybe he hasn’t lost yet…

The sun nearly blinds me for just a moment as I leap out of the way of his testing blade.

I allow myself a trace of a smile while my back is still to him. I’ll leave this dying world to the moon for the moment.

Right now I’m just going to enjoy the return of my son.

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: So, I have two different pennames on fanfiction.net: Siriusfan13 and sake sucker. This is a work originally posted on my "sake sucker" account. If you are a follower of my work from the old days on fanfiction.net, then, this may be new to you. My goal is to eventually post all of my various works that were posted in different places here. I'll generally let you know where they actually came from. If I don't make note, you can assume it is a Siriusfan13 fic originally posted on fanfiction.net or it was first posted here. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks so much for reading. Please drop reviews. Nothing is a better motivator than reviews!
> 
> And the reference to the sun’s “banished brother”, the moon, is courtesy of sueb262 who first introduced me to that myth in her incredible fic, “Fear No Evil.” You should definitely check it out (and leave thoughtful reviews to motivate updates!)
> 
> \--Sake/ Sirius:)


End file.
